Symbolic Play Test (SPT) was conducted before (at Week 0) and after (at Week 9) acupuncture.

Functional Independence Measure for children (WeeFIM) was conducted before (at Week 0) and after (at Week 9) acupuncture.

Estimated Enrollment:

50

Detailed Description:

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophy, the approach to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a holistic one. The objective is to study the efficacy of a short intensive course of Acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in improving the overall functional status of children with autism. A single-blind randomized control trial was conducted in 50 children. These children were randomly assigned to Treatment group with Tongue Acupuncture (40 sessions over 8 weeks) or Control group (Sham Tongue Acupuncture to non-acupoints in the tongue).

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

3 Years to 11 Years (Child)

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects with diagnosis of autism made according to the criteria of the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and with a score for Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) greater than 30.

Exclusion Criteria:

Children with associated neurological disorders and epilepsy.

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00352248